GP Sharma Oration organised by Department of Zoology, Panjab University

Chandigarh, March 21, 2017: GP Sharma Oration was organized by the Department of Zoology, Panjab University(PU), Chandigarh. The Chief Guest of the event was Padamshri Dr.Lalji Singh, MD, Genome Foundation, Hyderabad who has been Former Director, CCMB, Hyderabad and Former Vice Chancellor, BHU, Varanasi. He presented his talk on “Genetic Diversity in Indian Populations and its health implications”. The session was chaired by Padamshri Prof. R.C.Sobti, Former Vice Chancellor, PU. Dr.Lalji Singh provided insights into the ancestral migration of human population from Africa to Asian subcontinent based on molecular evidence. As a result, two ancient and genetically divergent populations “Ancestral North Indians” (ANI), genetically
closer to Middle Easterners, Central Asians, and Europeans, while the “Ancestral South Indians” (ASI), not close to any group outside the subcontinent. Moreover, no evidence of Aryan invasion could be justified. He further emphasized on the predisposition of recessive hereditary diseases e.g. inheritable cardiomyopathies in Indian population owing to huge genetic diversity and endogamy. This Oration lecture will be followed by seven day National workshop on Research Methodologies in Animal Sciences w.e.f. March 21 to March 28, 2017